What is a landing?

A landing, as we refer to it in this photo gallery, is both the open space at the top of the stairs, usually looking down to the floor below as well as a small platform in the middle of a staircase where the stairs may take a turn or just provide a platform before continuing down.

Typically they look down into the entry foyer area of a home. While most second floor landings may also be called the upper floor hall, when there’s a view of the space below, we chose to add those spaces to our landing gallery.

Technically, the landing is a platform connecting stairs, but we took a little liberty with this term because many people do think of a landing as the open space at the top of a staircase as well.

Types of Landings

Styles

Landings can be classified just like other rooms of the home. They may be described by their design style such as craftsman, rustic, contemporary, transitional, Victorian, cottage, modern, eclectic, Asian, etc.

Location

However, they can also be classified as per location as we set out above. It could be an upper floor landing or top-of-stairs landing. It could also be a mid-staircase platform.

Purpose

Finally, it could be classified by purpose or use. For example, larger second-floor landings are actual rooms that overlook the space below. These spaces can be family rooms, offices, sitting rooms, crafting rooms… essentially they form a bonus space that isn’t a bedroom or bathroom.

They can also make terrific kids’ areas assuming your kids are old enough where stairs aren’t a hazard. It’s out of the way so if it gets a bit messy, it’s not the end of the world, yet you can hear what’s going on.

That said, it’s a good kids’ zone if you don’t have both living room and some additional family space. Some landings, especially those mid-stairs platforms can be sitting nooks. We have some of those in our gallery and they look fabulous.

Waste of space?

Are large landings a waste of space?

I don’t think so. While I wouldn’t want to give up a bedroom for a landing, I really like the look, feel and additional bonus space upper floor landings can provide.

They offer an out-of-the-way space that still gives you that connected-to-the-rest-of-the-house feeling. That said, I wouldn’t want my home office in a landing because it’s not private. On the flip side, I think they make terrific reading areas because it’s not in the TV room yet not secluded off in some study.